What’s a summer family barbecue spread without a couple bags of chips on the table to supplement the burgers, veggie tray and pasta salad? Snacks are a ubiquitous part of plenty of gatherings and in the past few decades we have seen an explosion of flavors for various types of chips. Just last week my husband bought us a Cubano flavored potato chips. But one of the most enduring flavors has been Flamin’ Hot. How did this iconic flavor come to be? In her first feature as a director, Eva Longoria looks at the true story in the film “Flamin’ Hot,” currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) is struggling to take care of his growing family until he secures a job as a janitor with Frito-Lay. It is a good paying job, but with little opportunity for a Mexican man to advance. However, in the 1990s, Frito-Lay undergoes massive layoffs, and Richard is concerned for his job. The market for chips is stagnant, and Richard, along with his wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez) looks to develop a new flavor that will appeal to the Latin marketplace. As a janitor, Richard finds a way to contact CEO Roger Enrico (Tony Shalhoub) to try to sell his new spicy flavor.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I loved the themes of love of family and love of culture, both of which drove Montañez’s story. It is a full retelling of his life, starting from the very beginning, but despite that, the pacing felt good and I was engaged the whole time. It avoided many gimmicks, focusing largely on the journey of one man to save people in his community by honoring their heritage.
The performances are all quite good. Garcia and Gonzalez have a great chemistry together. Dennis Haysbert as Clarence C. Baker lends gravitas to his role as one of the few minorities to advance to a machine operator. Shalhoub is fantastic, as always, in his role of the CEO. The child actors all do a wonderful job both in adding a comedic element and as a reminder that racism affects people of all ages, even kids.
There was nothing groundbreaking in the filming, but everything felt intentional, nevertheless. Latino people remain one if the most underrepresented groups in film, so seeing a story focused on a Mexican success story in a film filled with Mexican actors and directed by a woman born from Mexican parents was in itself a big groundbreaking.
This is a really beautiful story. Yes, part of that is seeing someone’s hard work pay off in a big way. It’s always inspiring to see a great success story. But what is more important is the reminder that Richard was a success before he invented the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto. He was a success because he was dedicated to everything he did. Which means every one of us can be successful.
ALISE CHAFFINS is a Morgantown writer who loves movies and sharing her opinions. She reviews a movie from a streaming service every Saturday and one newly in theaters every Sunday. Find more at MacGuffin or Meaning on Substack.
